Renew your vows. With or without a ceremony, you’ll relish recalling the feeling that came with those words uttered so many years ago. Say those words of commitment again to the person you’re now blissfully spending the rest of your life with.

Susana and Antonio, who live in the United States, were married in their native country, Ecuador. At least once every five years, they return to Ecuador to visit their relatives. Each time they make the trip, the first thing they do is to go to the church where they got married. There, in front of the altar, they hold hands, look into each other’s eyes, and recite their wedding vows. No ceremony. No fanfare. Just a couple in love renewing the promises they made at that very altar many years ago.

From The Busy Couple’s Guide to Everyday Romance, Fun and Easy Ways to Keep the Spark Alive

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]]>https://everydayromance4busycouples.com/2012/07/04/renew-your-commitment/feed/0books2inspireWhat Makes Marriage Workhttps://everydayromance4busycouples.com/2012/05/29/what-makes-marriage-work/
https://everydayromance4busycouples.com/2012/05/29/what-makes-marriage-work/#respondTue, 29 May 2012 19:25:13 +0000http://everydayromance4busycouples.com/?p=174Continue reading →]]>Maybe it’s the ability to say you’re sorry. I know that sounds so simple. If you’re willing to tell somebody that you love them, are you also willing to say you’re sorry? You need to, even when you think you’re in the right. Kevin Costner, Parade Magazine

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]]>https://everydayromance4busycouples.com/2012/05/29/what-makes-marriage-work/feed/0books2inspireValentine’s Day on a Budgethttps://everydayromance4busycouples.com/2012/05/11/115/
https://everydayromance4busycouples.com/2012/05/11/115/#respondFri, 11 May 2012 21:43:10 +0000http://everydayromance4busycouples.wordpress.com/?p=115Continue reading →]]>Fun, Easy, and Incredibly Cheap Ways to Make

Your Sweetheart Feel Special on Valentine’s Day

Just because the economy is in a slump doesn’t mean that you can’t have a memorable Valentine’s Day. With a little creativity, you can come up with romantic ideas that’ll make your sweetheart feel special—without straining your budget.

Think how much fun it would be if you came up with ideas that are unique to your relationship.

Here are some suggestions to jumpstart your creativity:

Celebrate on Valentine’s Eve. A much cheaper alternative to dining out on Valentine’s Day is dining out on Valentine’s Eve. You can take advantage of the good food and ambiance of your favorite restaurant at a price that’s much less than the typical Valentine’s Day packages. Then you can earmark what you save for another date night. A double celebration!

Since this year’s Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday, why not an outdoor picnic-for-two the Sunday before? (Assuming, of course, that the weather cooperates.) Instead of heading to the nearest park, see if you have other options that would be just as romantic. A tree house in your backyard? A snow-covered lawn on a sunny day? The roof of your apartment building? (Or office building–but you probably have to pull some strings.)

You’re thinking: it’s just not the same as celebrating on the exact day. But think of Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve—the celebrations on these occasions only enhance the meaning of the holidays they represent.

Involve the children in the celebration. Who says you can’t have a perfect Valentine’s Day when young children are around?

Instead of hiring a babysitter for the evening, how about making the children part of the celebration? Create a “mission” for them—to make Mommy and Daddy’s Valentine’s dinner the most romantic ever.

Tell them that this year you’ve decided to go to [your family name] restaurant (Smith Bistro, for example). In this restaurant, the older children are the chefs, and the younger children are the servers. To add to the excitement of their “mission,” give them a free hand in planning the entire dinner—the menu, the table setting, the music, the décor. A unique suggestion is for them to wear chef hats, aprons and server uniforms made from newspapers or colored paper.

Your part is to get dressed up just as you would if you were going to a fancy restaurant. Make sure you sprinkle lots of appreciative comments during dinner! Not only will your children cherish the memory, but you can bet that their own children and their children’s children will hear about this evening.

Create a romantic indoor picnic. Don’t forget that indoor picnics can be just as romantic. Spread out a bright red blanket on the den or a covered patio. Arrange pillows with your favorite colors on top. Add wine, cheese, finger foods, and fruit. Top it with mood music, and voila! A memorable evening is in the making.

Prepare Valentine’s dinner together. If you both like to cook, make two gourmet meals—each other’s favorite. From planning the menu to making the list to grocery-shopping—togetherness is the key. When you get home from the grocery, open the first bottle of wine (you got two, right?). Have a few sips as you do the chopping and the laughing, and the peeling, and the kissing.

Add a written message to your gift. Whether you choose to commemorate the occasion with a gift, a card, or both, add words of love in writing. You can write a sentence or two at the bottom of the card or attach a short note to the gift. That gesture alone would be appreciated not just that evening, but throughout your life together. It may turn out to be treasured even more than the gift!

Renew your commitment. Return to the place that’s been most meaningful to both of you and renew your commitment to each other. It can be where you first met, had your first date, or first kiss, or where you got married. If it’s too far, find some place similar. For example, a church that’s a short drive to the country may remind you of the church where you got married, 500 miles away.

You don’t need a special ceremony for this occasion, nor witnesses. It can be just the two of you, expressing once more in words the love that has lived in your heart throughout your blissful time together.

Your Valentine’s Day can be inexpensive and still be memorable. After all, isn’t the sole purpose of this day to create more magical moments in your relationship? And those moments– as no doubt you’ve already discovered– are priceless!

You rack your brain for any clue that would explain his behavior. Nothing. Zero. You got along well, he worshipped the ground you walked on. He was smitten by you as much as you were by him.

Or so you thought.

Should you end the relationship now, while you can still crawl out of the black hole called love? After all, he’s not the only fish in the sea. Or should you aggressively pursue him to convince him that you ARE the one for him?

Whoa. Hold your horses. You may be surprised by what I’m about to tell you.

For most guys, it’s normal to pull away just when a relationship is about to move forward. And here’s one big reason (though not the only one) why your guy does this:

He’s afraid to commit.

The good news is that once a man withdraws from you for this reason, he’s most likely into you. You’ve struck a chord in his feelings, you’ve reached his heart, and he’s falling in love with you, if he hasn’t yet.

Which is why he’s afraid. He feels the need to get away before you change his world.

“But I don’t want to change his world,” you say. “I just want to be with him.”

His response to that would probably be,“You say that now.” And you know what? I’d say the same, and here’s why.

A woman has the remarkable ability to change a man’s world, whether she intends to or not, whether she denies or confirms it. She can change her man’s world for better or—unfortunately–for worse.

And that’s the risk your man’s afraid to take. Perhaps he’s been through this experience before. Perhaps his world’s been turned upside down once too many. No, sir, he’s not going to feel trapped again.

He wants to protect his world, so he plays it safe. He pulls away.

What should you do?

Nothing—at least for the first week or so. You’ll be doing him a favor if you stayed away. Most likely he’s overwhelmed by his feelings. He needs some time away from you to sort them out.

In short, leave him alone. Give him the space he wants—that’s what he’s trying to communicate to you by his withdrawal. Don’t pick up that phone, don’t send a “just to say hi” e-mail, don’t send a message through a mutual friend.

That’s painful, you say. It sure is. You feel helpless, not knowing if he’s coming back, much less when.

But look at it this way: if he decides to come back, chances are he’d decided that his world would be better with you, than without you. That the world he’d wanted to protect—to keep intact–could only be enhanced by your presence.

The key word here is patience. Don’t look at this time apart as an unnecessary delay in the blossoming of your relationship. Instead, look at it as “building” time, for as the two of you remove the uncertainties that find their way into any romance, you add a few more bricks to the foundation of a lasting relationship.

It Doesn’t Happen Overnight

You’re so exhausted, you fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow. You’re too tired to listen… You’re too exhausted for affection…

You’re too busy to really talk… No time for each other… No time to reconnect… No time for…

Romance. And that’s what’s missing.

When you let romance fall by the wayside, you create a time bomb in your relationship — it won’t go off overnight, but you’ll hear the ticking.

Wait a minute, you say. We do go out for a romantic dinner on our anniversary and on Valentine’s Day. Sorry, that’s not going to make the cut. But everyday romance will.

If you’ve read this far, congratulations. That tells me that I’ve struck a chord and you want to stop the ticking time bomb, or you’d like to know more ways to keep the spark alive.

But first I’d like to make sure that we’re on the same page as to what everyday romance means.

It’s when making your partner feel special has become second-nature to you.

It’s when you tell your honey that you’re thinking of him or her. Sure, you can project your thoughts all you like, but make sure your sweetheart knows.

It’s not waiting for a special event to give your partner undivided attention and affection.

It’s knowing that seduction begins w-a-a-y before bedtime.

It’s being attuned to romantic opportunities every day. Yes, every single day.

Sounds like a tall order? Hear me out. Weren’t you and your sweetheart hopeless romantics in the beginning? You didn’t seem to run out of ideas then on how to make each other feel special every day.

All right, you say. But that was then — it’s different now:

Synchronizing schedules is an ordeal

You have a lot more responsibilities

Your jobs are demanding

It’s hard to be frequently romantic when kids are around

Money is tight

But what if I told you that romance can flourish in your marriage even with frazzled schedules and a skimpy budget?

Think about the look on your partner’s face when he finds an unexpected love note under his pillow… or when you hand her a rosebud while grocery-shopping…

Think about all these reasons why the effort is all worth it:

Your connection remains strong even when distance keeps you apart.

Because you feel appreciated, you don’t feel resentful, trapped or taken for granted.

You don’t have a sliver of doubt that you’ll grow old together — happily.

You take care of yourself better – for each other.

You relationship deepens, not only as life partners, but as best friends.

By now I hope you’re a believer–that you clearly see how everyday romance can spice up your marriage not just in the short-term but forever after.

There’s more…

Your creativity becomes limitless, inspired by the affection you give and receive.

You set a good example for your children.

Other couples look up to you in admiration and envy.

The feeling of well-being spills over to other areas of your life – you’re a better parent, better employee, and, of course, better spouse.

You’re more inspired to achieve your goals.

You’re less frustrated over things you can’t control.

Discover Exciting, Time-Tested Ideas And Tips

That Color Your Marriage Romantic

The Busy Couple’s Guide to Everyday Romance: Fun and Easy Ways to Keep the Spark Alive abounds with stories of happily married couples who attest to the power of romance — not just on special occasions, but on a daily, consistent basis.

This book helps you navigate your way back to memory lane…back to those moments that remind you why you chose each other for your life’s journey.

From simple, heartfelt expressions of affection to elaborate declarations of love, the ideas presented in this book are fun and easy-to-follow. They inspire you to trust your intuition and create memories that’ll stay with you long after the reasons for your busy schedules cease to exist. Tailor them to your unique relationship or use them as a springboard for your own.

Get a copy of The Busy Couple’s Guide to Everyday Romance: Fun and Easy Ways to Keep the Spark Alive now. You can spend hours and hours wading through articles and Web sites on romance and marriage. You can spend hundreds of dollars on books and CDs, and still end up with only a few practical tips that apply to your particular situation.